Searchg for Silver Lake: the radil neighborhood that changed gay Ameri | Los Angel | The Guardian

gay los angeles history

It was New Years Eve, 1929. Three hundred men tuxedos were celebratg the openg of Hollywood’s first gay nightclub. It was lled Jimmy’s Backyard and sat a…

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QUEER NEIGHBORHOODS\NMY FAVORE ASPECT OF LOS ANGEL’ QUEER LIFE IS S ABILY TO ACODATE A VARIETY OF SUBCULTUR AND PASSNS DUE TO S ENORMO POPULATN AND WI NSTELLATNS OF NEIGHBORHOODS. WHILE QUEER LIFE IS CENTERED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DOWNTOWN, PULS THROUGHOUT THE CY BETIFUL, DIVERSE, AND CREATIV WAYS. YOU’LL NEED MORE THAN A FEW LIFETIM TO EXPERIENCE ALL, BUT HERE ARE A FEW STANDOUTS. \NWT HOLLYWOOD\NHOME TO OVER TWENTY GAY BARS WALKG DISTANCE, A PLETHORA OF QUEER-OWNED BS,  LA PRI FTIVAL AND PARA, OUTFT, A HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL, AND OVER A THIRD OF RINTS INTIFIYG AS LGBTQ+, THE CY OF WT HOLLYWOOD IS PATED WH RABOW STREET CROSSGS YEAR ROUND. IT’S NO WONR “WEHO” HAS BEEN A TOP LGBTQ+ WELG STATN SCE THE 1970S AND NTU TO DRAW TRAVELERS AND NEW RINTS OM AROUND THE WORLD. \NSILVER LAKE\NTHOUGH STONEWALL IS LARGELY CREDED WH CG THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, LOS ANGEL HAS A FEW HISTORIL LGBTQ+ UPRISGS THAT PREDATE THE INN’S 1969 RTS, CLUDG THE BLACK CAT RAIDS AND PROTTS SILVER LAKE THAT TOOK PLACE 1967. THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS LONG BEEN AN EPICENTER FOR QUEER CULTURE— WAS HOME TO “AMERI’S FIRST CELEBRATED DRAG PERFORMER,” JULIAN ELTGE, THE 1910S/20S, THE MATTACHE SOCIETY (SAID TO BE AMERI’S FIRST GAY ORANIZATN, T. 1950), AS WELL AS A PREVALENT 80S LEATHER SCENE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD’S QUEER HEART STILL BEATS STRONGLY SPE GENTRIFITN AS MANY QUEER-OWNED BS NTUE TO THRIVE. \NDOWNTOWN LA\NDTLA HAS RECENTLY TABLISHED SELF AS AN UP-AND-G QUEER NEIGHBORHOOD SCE A HANDFUL OF QUEER-OWNED BS AND BARS OPENED 2015, BUT S QUEER HISTORY IS LONG AND STORIED, CLUDG SOME OF THE FIRST LGBTQ+ RTS THE UNTRY AT COOPER DO-NUTS 1959, AS WELL AS A LLECTN OF GAY-IENDLY HANGOUTS AND CISG LOL PERISHG SQUARE LLED “THE RUN” PREVALENT OM THE 20S TO THE 60S. THE LOFTY NEIGHBORHOOD EVEN PUTS ON ’S OWN PRI FTIVAL, DTLA PROUD, EVERY AUGT. \N \NBT PLAC TO STAY\NACE HOTEL DOWNTOWN LOS ANGEL\NTHERE ARE A HANDFUL OF NEW HOTELS SPRGG UP DOWNTOWN, BUT THE ACE REMAS ONE OF THE MOST QUEER-IENDLY, WH S PRI POOL PARTI, SOCIALS, AND S STUNNG PROGRAMMG AT THE 1927 GOTHIC-STYLE THEATRE AT ACE HOTEL, WHERE PERFORMERS LIKE SASCHA VELOUR, BIAN DEL R, KATYA ZAMOLODCHIKOVA, AND MANY MORE HAVE PERFORMED SOLO SHOWS TO SOLD OUT DIENC.\NPALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD\NSTEPS AWAY OM THE REVELRY ON NEARBY SANTA MONI BOULEVARD, THE BOUTIQUE 37-ROOM PALIHOE WT HOLLYWOOD IS A TE REFUGE THE HEART OF ONE OF THE WORLDS LARGT GAYBORHOODS. THE HOTEL HAS HANDSOME TERRS, A SUN-DRENCHED ROOFTOP WH WI VIEWS OF LOS ANGEL, AS WELL AS AN ELEGANT BAR.\NAIRBNBS SILVER LAKE\NFEEL LIKE A LOL AND RENT A BUNGALOW SILVER LAKE. BIS THEIR FAIRLY CENTRAL LOTN THE CY BETWEEN DTLA AND WT HOLLYWOOD, YOU’LL BE CLOSE TO HIP STOR, QUEER HISTORY, AND LIVELY BARS LIKE AKBAR.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":3005047717},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"CUTI. ","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20790,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":2862333468},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"QUEER-OWNED BS \NCUTI\NCUTI, A TWO-STORY FFEE SHOP AND MUNY CENTER EAST HOLLYWOOD MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY BRICK-AND-MORTAR QUEER F THE STAT AND IS A GREAT PLACE TO MEET PEOPLE BEYOND THE BARS AND CLUBS OF THE GREATER LOS ANGEL AREA. THE BRIGHTLY L ART DE TERR ALSO HAS A FEW SHELV HOLDG A SMALL BUT POWERFUL LIBRARY OF QUEER THEORY AND LERATURE—THE SPACE ALSO HOSTS QUEER BOOK CLUBS, SOCIALS, AND OTHER EVENTS. \NCASA DEL CAMPO\NSILVER LAKE’S CASA DEL CAMPO HAS BEEN AROUND SCE 1962 AND HAS BEE A QUEER LANDMARK SCE WAS ONCE SURROUND BY BATH HO AND LEATHER BARS. BIS S HEARTY CAL-TEX MENU (AND HEAVY POUR MARGARAS) ’S KNOWN FOR S BARET THEATRE, THE CAVERN CLUB THEATER, WHICH PUTS ON MPY PLAYS, DRAG SHOWS, AND DANCE PERFORMANC. \NWILDFANG\NNEW YORK AND PORTALND AREN’T THE ONLY CI WH THE QUEER-OWNED FEMIST FASHN BRAND KNOWN AS WILDFANG. LOS ANGEL HAS S OWN BRICK-AND-MORTAR STORE THE HEART OF SILVER LAKE, ON THE BY SUNSET BOULEVARD. \N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":2441417128},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":802,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":558,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"JUICY LEAF.","HEIGHT":802,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":802,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20792,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":3947305377},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"THE JUICY LEAF\NWHILE VISG L.A., ’S HARD NOT TO FALL LOVE WH THE CTI, SUCCULENTS, AND OTHER LORFUL PLANTS LEAPG OM THE CY’S GARNS. HIGHLAND PARK’S QUEER-OWNED BOUTIQUE, THE JUICY LEAF, SELLS A BRIGHT ASSORTMENT OF UNIQUE PLANTS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE URBAN GARNER. \NCELEBRATN THEATER\NCELEBRATN THEATER, NOW BASED AT THE LEX HOLLYWOOD, WAS FOUND 1982 BY MATTACHE SOCIETY -FOUNR CHARL ROWLAND AND HAS SCE PUT TOGETHER S OF PERFORMANC CLUDG THE ORIGAL NAKED BOYS SGG! AND A CRILLY-ACCLAIMED PRODUCTN OF BOYS FROM OZ.\NWILL ROGERS STATE BEACH\NWHILE MUCH OF LOS ANGEL’S QUEER LIFE IS BASED WT HOLLYWOOD, SILVER LAKE, AND DTLA, THE WT SI NTAS A SIGNIFINT QUEER POPULATN (AND SOME TERTG QUEER HISTORY)—BUT NO CURRENT FULL TIME QUEER TABLISHMENTS OR BARS. THE AREA DO HOWEVER, HAVE ’S OWN “UNOFFICIAL” GAY BEACH, NICKNAMED “GGER ROGERS BEACH” NEAR LIFEGUARD STATN 26 ON THE WI SAND BEACH, JT A SHORT DRIVE NORTH OF SANTA MONI.\N","MARKER":{"NAME":"","IMAGE":{},"SCRIPTN":"","NTENT":[]},"ID":497133582},{"TYPE":"SLISHOW","IMAG":[{"RETAHEIGHT":899,"MOBILESRC":","SRC":","MOBILEWIDTH":498,"SQUARELARGEHEIGHT":640,"WIDTH":1200,"PTN":"VIEW OM GRIFFH PARK. ","HEIGHT":899,"SQUARELARGEWIDTH":640,"SQUAREHUGE":","RETASRC":","MOBILEHEIGHT":373,"ALT":"","SQUARESMALL":","RETAWIDTH":1200,"SQUAREHUGEHEIGHT":899,"SQUARESMALLHEIGHT":320,"SQUAREMEDIUM":","SQUAREMEDIUMWIDTH":480,"SQUAREMEDIUMHEIGHT":480,"ID":20791,"SQUARESMALLWIDTH":320,"SQUARELARGE":","SQUAREHUGEWIDTH":960}],"ID":3575915721},{"TYPE":"PARAGRAPH","NTENT":"ARTS & CULTURE \NONE NATNAL GAY & LBIAN ARCHIV AT THE USC LIBRARI\NTHE ONE ARCHIV AT USC HOLD THE LARGT LLECTN OF LGBTQ MATERIALS—BOOKS, PERDILS, CLOTHG, ARTWORKS, PHOTOGRAPHY, D RERDGS, VIOS, LETTERS, EPHEMERA, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE— THE WORLD. THE SPACE IS NAMED AFTER ONE MAGAZE, THE FIRST “NATNAL HOMOSEXUAL PERDIL” FOUND 1952. VIS TUDAY-SATURDAY AND BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THEIR SIBLG GALLERY SPACE WT HOLLYWOOD, ONE ARCHIV GALLERY AND MM, WHICH FEATUR TN IATIV AND THOUGHT PROVOKG EXHIBS. WHILE NOT ASSOCIATED WH ONE, WT HOLLYWOOD IS ALSO HOME TO THE  THE JUNE L. MAZER LBIAN ARCHIV.\NLACMA\NLOS ANGEL HAS AN CREDIBLE ASSORTMENT OF NTEMPORARY ART MMS HOSTG QUEER EXHIBS AND ARTISTS AND LOS ANGEL COUNTY MM OF ART IS NO EXCEPTN. HERE, MAPPLETHORP, HOCKNEYS, TOM OF FLANDS, EAKS, AND LIGONS HAVE CLEARED THE STAGE FOR CURRENT QUEER ARTISTS LIKE TERA LA TORRE, DEV GALDO, AND PL MPAGI SEPUYA TO SHOWSE THEIR NOVATIVE NTEMPORARY WORK. \NGRIFFH PARK\NAT 4,210 ACR (NEARLY FIVE CENTRAL PARKS!), GRIFFH PARK IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE LARGT MUNICIPAL PARKS WH URBAN WILRNS AREAS THE UNTRY. THE MASSIVE PARK IS HOME TO MORE THAN 53 OF STEEP HIKG TRAILS, THE AUTRY MM OF THE AMERIN WT, THE GEO GRIFFH OBSERVATORY, AND S VERY OWN MOUNTA LN, P-22. THE PARK WAS EVEN THE SETTG OF A “GAY-” MONSTRATN ANIZED 1970 BY THE GROUP THE GAY LIBERATN FRONT.\N \NQUEER NIGHTLIFE

Tudays, Jan. 17 and 24, 2023 at 11 p.m. on KPBS TV / Watch now wh PBS Vio app. Dpe adversy, gay and lbian anizg begs. Publitns, protts and uprisgs sprg up, leadg to the untry's first Pri Para, LGBTQ Social Servic, the first "Gay Cy" and an eventual natnal Civil Rights Movement. * gay los angeles history *

The monstratn that’s memorated by the plaque stemmed om police raids that took place on New Year’s Eve 1967 at The Black Cat and other gay bars the area. Loted on the mp of the Universy of Southern California (USC), the ONE Natnal Gay & Lbian Archive is the world's largt rearch library dited to honor and archive LGBTQ+ history.

The two-story mm serv as a time psule for historic years of queer culture, and also functns as LA's Downtown gay muny center—hostg exhibns, art shows and cematic screengs for both the USC stunt populatn and Los Angel at large. Playfully known as "Gger Rogers Beach, " Will Rogers wel hard bodi to play volleyball and mature men to relax and get a tan - gays of all shap and siz have been wele here sce the 1950s.

GAY HISTORY OF L.A.

* gay los angeles history *

If you don’t know what that is, watch the acclaimed 2008 movie Milk, starrg Sean Penn an Osr-wng performance as gay rights activist and polician, Harvey Milk. Opened 1923, the landmark Millennium Biltmore Hotel hosted a very gay-iendly bar through both World Wars and was the se of an early tone gay rights advancement. In 1971, the Biltmore hosted the Internatnal Psychologists & Psychiatrists nference, which was gog to clare electroshock therapy as the “cure” for homosexualy.

John Rechy, a noted chronicler of gay LA, wrote his book Cy of Night that this lotn of the Cooper doughnut cha on Ma Street was the se of a 1959 uprisg of transgenr women and street htlers. Rechy, who was prent the doughnut shop on the night May 1959 when the rt took place, not that at this time, was not unmon for police to arrt members of the gay populace simply for ngregatg or beg a bar that was beg raid. Rentment at beg targeted by the police me to a head the Cooper Do-Nuts, and when police me to the pecially popular gay hangout attemptg to arrt three people (Rechy among them), some of the trans women and gay patrons bombard the officers wh donuts, ffee, and paper plat until the police ran out seekg backup.

LA’S GAY PAST: THIS IS LGBT HISTORY, TOLD SIX LANDMARKS

The 1969 Stonewall Rts marked a historic turng pot for gay rights, but several smaller uprisgs preced Stonewall as LGBTQ muni phed back agast harassment and equaly. * gay los angeles history *

Especially toward the end of his reer, police created problems for him: At a show a Hollywood gay club, he was ma to do his act a tux stead of his gowns due to an anti-cross-drsg law. Pershg Square was the center of "The Run, " a circu of gay-iendly tablishments and cisg spots that served the 1920s through the 1960s as what the book Gay L. This hoe Echo Park eventually beme his home, and his prence drew notable gay artists such as John Waters and Robert Maplethorpe to the home as well, which beme a gatherg place.

His work, showg strong, virile men, was nsired pecially important the 1980s, when the AIDS epimic meant that the prevailg image of gay men was the oppose of mcular and healthy. In a letter of support for the hoe receivg this signatn, the Wt Coast edor of Archectural Digt wrote that Laaksonen's artwork "one of the most important forc the evolutn of gay culture the 20th century.

SEARCHG FOR SILVER LAKE: THE RADIL NEIGHBORHOOD THAT CHANGED GAY AMERI

The 1969 Stonewall Uprisg New York is wily regard as the begng of the Gay Civil Rights Movement, but the heart of the movement, and what we know as "gay culture" has strong roots Los Angel.

: A Queer History" sheds light on historil figur who are largely unacknowledged, creatg a newfound dialogue about LGBTQ history but also a better unrstandg of the lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr muny. Ntled between two gay bars, the Harold's and the Waldorf, the fé was one of few tablishments the cy to wele trans ctomers at a time when many gay and lbian bars turned them away fear of LAPD targetg and persecutg transgenr and genr non-nformg form of LAPD's route harassment clud targetg well-known LGBTQ spac and mandg intifitn om genr non-nformg patrons. As the patrons were hered to a police r, a group of lbians, transgenr women, drag queens and gay men shed to the streets, risted the arrts, throwg donuts, paper plat and ffee cups.

THE PANSY CRAZE: WHEN GAY NIGHTLIFE LOS ANGEL REALLY KICKED OFF

Tucked away om LAPD’s watchful eye, the area attracted a flourishg queer muny seekg refuge om the police partment’s dranian approach to policg "homosexual offens.

’s rent-ntrol protectns threatened to price out longtime rints, a aln of gay men and Rsian Jewish émigrés band together to officially rporate the area as the Cy of Wt Hollywood.

The aln immediately passed a seri of rent ntrol measur and elected a cy uncil wh an openly gay majory, solidifyg Wt Hollywood’s stat as a visible symbol of gay Los Angel. Pershg Square was a meetg ground for gay men for much of the early 20th century, loted at the heart of "The Run" — a circu of gay-iendly tablishments and cisg spots the 1920s through the '80s.

*BEAR-MAGAZINE.COM* GAY LOS ANGELES HISTORY

Gay history of L.A. - LA Observed .

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